Pakistani academic arrested for 'participating in protest'

A Pakistani academic was arrested here on Saturday "for participating at a protest", he said in a social media post.

In the Facebook post, Ammar Ali Jan wrote he was "under arrest at the Gulberg police station", reports Dawn news.

"There is an FIR against me for participating at the protest in Liberty against the killing of Professor Arman Loni," the post said, adding that he was taken into custody at 4 a.m. which is when he said "the police raided my house".

In the FIR, the complainant said that Jan was leading a group of 100-150 people that had blocked roads and chanted slogans against state institutions and intelligence agencies.

Protests have taken place in Quetta, Islamabad and Lahore over the death of senior Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) leader Arman Loni who was allegedly killed during a sit-in in Balochistan.

PTM is a social movement for Pashtun human rights based in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

On Tuesday, at least 18 PTM members, including rights activist Gulalai Ismail, were detained from outside the National Press Club in Islamabad.

Ismail, who was in detention for nearly 30 hours, was released on Friday.

Jan, known for his political views and activism, was barred to speak at a cultural event last November.